Ipad first impressions

[Aendery2k]

So far, I like it a lot. My biggest initial complaint is that they should have added toggles for some common buffs. Especially Haste, as I have it on every Melee guy I use about half the time. I also beleive that some feats (like furious focus), while included on the sheet, are not factored in to the sheet.

[Colen]

Originally Posted by Aendery2k

So far, I like it a lot. My biggest initial complaint is that they should have added toggles for some common buffs. Especially Haste, as I have it on every Melee guy I use about half the time. I also beleive that some feats (like furious focus), while included on the sheet, are not factored in to the sheet.

You should be able to add Haste as a spell adjustment, by tapping the "Adjust" button at the bottom of the sheet.

[frankmiller11]

great advice here.
implementing these points can really make a difference.

[Globetrotter]

Right, I agree with Shadow.

I was hoping this forum to be a brainstorm of additions to the program. Maybe it gives ideas or maybe just a fun place to wax.

[RMohrfun]

I'd like to be able to delete the characters from the app without having to connect the tool to iTunes. Apple specifically broke the link with iTunes, the tool should follow that mind-set. I'd suggest a delete and play button on the line with the character name in the selection window, or maybe "It's dead, Jim" (delete) and "Let's kick butt" (play) buttons. :-)

Aside from that I am very happy with what you all created. Looking forward to some day being able to create a character from scratch in the tool.

[Colen]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

It looks clean and easy to understand where everything on the main page is. So far, I think this is a great start. I want to write the things I would suggest adjusting, although please do not think I am not very happy with this app. So far, I love the work you guys do and own 100% of the pathfinder data packages.

I think it would be great if the community added to this as well.

1. Changing weapons is difficult and slow. A quick select would be great. I don't think it is necessary to have multiple weapons equipped at the same time, so selecting a weapon could auto deselect another weapon.

2. The dice rollers are great (although I get an unusual amount of 20's when I roll). Could we combine the attack and damage rolls? That speeds it up greatly. So, when I hit the dice roller for my longsword, the dice roller shows my hit and damage in the same screen, in stead of me having to back out and then go into damage.

3. Can we have a section that details the class as well? This might seem redundant, but I would be great to be able to press the class at the top of the page and have a pop-up detailing the information, like you can with all the other attributes and feats.

4. For the consumables, and daily use powers, could we had a + symbol next to the value adjustment? Then we can just this the + and move it forward once instead of hitting the value adjustment, scrolling to the next number and then closing the window. Having the window is great to make larger adjustments, or back adjustments, but usually they move in increments of 1 (or for arrows more), and I think that would be faster.

5. Can you add a reach section to the weapons? Then when you are enlarged, the correct threatened area is shown.

6. A status window would be great too. So when you add a condition, you remember you added it. Maybe as simple as the condition button showing how many status effects are in [conditions (1)]. You could do the same things for adjustment to remind you that you have X amount of spell effects in place. - sometimes we forget such things

That's all that I can think about now. I know shadowchemosh mentioned the saving wait times, and a response already addressed you are working on it. of course, everyone has commented on being able to delete in the app.

I don't know how to sync this with my desktop yet, but I haven't read the instructions yet either.

I am looking forward to using this at my next session. I will have more comments after that. I really like all the information that is included; i don't even need to have my books at the table with this!!

Very happy so far.

1. Having multiple weapons equipped at once is a critical requirement for characters that use two-weapon fighting. Have you tried using the "Quick Equip" button at the bottom of the screen?

2. Would it be OK if it always rolled damage, even if you missed or rolled a 1?

3. Can you tell me more about what sort of information you'd want to see here? Class abilities are already listed under the "All Special Abilities" button at the bottom of the screen, if that helps.

4. This is funny because incrementers used to work like this, but I switched to the spinning wheel view because it was a complete pain to adjust it by more than one. We probably need a button to go up one and a button to go down one, right?

5. This would just be "reach of character" + "reach of weapon" for each weapon, right?

6. Any conditions are actually shown at the bottom of the screen right now, but it's not that visible. I'll try to find somewhere that's more prominent for this, I just don't want it being a huge thing, as many characters will have adjustments toggled semi-permanently.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Colen

1. Having multiple weapons equipped at once is a critical requirement for characters that use two-weapon fighting. Have you tried using the "Quick Equip" button at the bottom of the screen?

The quick equip screen is helpful, but not easy to use. Let me try to illustrate, something I am terribly at... I click on quick equip, select the weapon I have equipped, select not equipped. Select the weapon I now want equipped, selected both hands. For me and my uncoordinated hands, that is about 6 seconds to change a weapon. This goes up longer if I am fighting Two-weapon because I have to either deselect two different weapons to select my bow, or god forbid I am changing to two other weapons for DR bypass. That goes up to 10-15 seconds of people at the table just watching me play a mini-game to find out what my bonuses are to hit.

Maybe a small time, but if I am doing it often, it gets irritating.

2. Would it be OK if it always rolled damage, even if you missed or rolled a 1?

Yes. You could have the damage appear under the attack roll so it's not confusing. For crits, you can just roll again. It would be great if it took account for threat ranges and auto rolled, but that might be too difficult to pull off.

I think this is probably a minor thing since most people will just roll their dice anyway. Like I think i said earlier, I get a high amount of 20's rolling on the app than in real life. Maybe I am a terrible roller, but it seems to not be completely random.

3. Can you tell me more about what sort of information you'd want to see here? Class abilities are already listed under the "All Special Abilities" button at the bottom of the screen, if that helps.

One thing I really like about hero lab is I can go to the class tab and select the attack button at the top and it will show my progression. Same with saves and abilities. I really love being able to see what I can do later, and sometimes people ask me. It would be great to have a class tap that mimicked this. Sometimes the GM asked me if I have a power, and I would like to be able to say, not until two levels later. I do have all the books on my ipad, so it's also not a big deal, but it was one of the first things I went looking for, lol.

4. This is funny because incrementers used to work like this, but I switched to the spinning wheel view because it was a complete pain to adjust it by more than one. We probably need a button to go up one and a button to go down one, right?

Yes, a button would be great. I think there is enough space, you could through a - to the left and a + to the right.

5. This would just be "reach of character" + "reach of weapon" for each weapon, right?

Right, so if I am using a long sword, under the weapon it would show 10' reach when enlarged. This is a nice reminder to new players who don't know or forget. I have a bunch at the table I play at.

6. Any conditions are actually shown at the bottom of the screen right now, but it's not that visible. I'll try to find somewhere that's more prominent for this, I just don't want it being a huge thing, as many characters will have adjustments toggled semi-permanently.

Wow, I didn't even see that. The font is small and kind of hidden, like you said. Can you add the spell adjustments to this?

Thanks for your feedback!

Thank you!!!

[Colen]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

The quick equip screen is helpful, but not easy to use. Let me try to illustrate, something I am terribly at... I click on quick equip, select the weapon I have equipped, select not equipped. Select the weapon I now want equipped, selected both hands. For me and my uncoordinated hands, that is about 6 seconds to change a weapon. This goes up longer if I am fighting Two-weapon because I have to either deselect two different weapons to select my bow, or god forbid I am changing to two other weapons for DR bypass. That goes up to 10-15 seconds of people at the table just watching me play a mini-game to find out what my bonuses are to hit.

Maybe a small time, but if I am doing it often, it gets irritating.

I see what you're saying. Are you usually changing from weapon 1 to weapon 2, or changing how you have a particular weapon equipped?

I.e. are you switching from using your bow to two swords, or are you switching from using a Longsword in both hands, to using that same longsword in one hand?

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

Right, so if I am using a long sword, under the weapon it would show 10' reach when enlarged. This is a nice reminder to new players who don't know or forget. I have a bunch at the table I play at.

I can add this to show the reach if it's not the same as the default for the hero; that way it'll stand out more that a specific weapon has a longer reach.

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

Wow, I didn't even see that. The font is small and kind of hidden, like you said. Can you add the spell adjustments to this?

They should be there already; the fact that they aren't is a bug. I've added this to our fix list, and I'll find somewhere better to put it as well.


I've added the other items to our to-do list.

[Globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Colen

I see what you're saying. Are you usually changing from weapon 1 to weapon 2, or changing how you have a particular weapon equipped?

This is what happened during our last session:

I use a bardiche for my primary weapon. I have power attack and furious focus to eliminate my attack penalty. This lets me hit hard.

I had to switch to my longbow to hit an enemy across the battlefield. If I was using the app, I quick equip, unequip bardiche and equip longbow both hands.

one round later I move forward and forgot to pick up my bardiche. So i drop the longbow and grab my backup flail. Quick equip, unequip longbow and select flail as both hands. Back into action.

What if I now needed to bump my ac and pull out my shield? quick equip, change flail from both hands to one hand, equip shield.

The pain in all of this is I cannot do it during another player's turn, because you cannot move unless it's your turn. If I do it preemptively, and my DM tells me no - could be a reason like an immediate action or something - I have to switch it back quickly. This takes time....

Oh my.. I just had a thought - Weapon presets.

Can you have saved configurations? I go to quick equip and hit preset 1 and it changes my weapon and shield config? Go back and hit preset 2 and not I am wielding my longbow... hit preset 1 again and I am back into action?

That would address my issues... but wouldn't address what Shadow was talking about regarding needing to know multiple weapons unless in one of the presets you could select "all equipped".

This wouldn't work with my smite evil die roller that I have above... but you guys are the experts

[Globetrotter]

I have yet to figure out how to update. Granted, I haven't played with it much, but it wasn't addressed in the help pages.

So, when I play with the character, use equipment, buy equipment, etc.... how to I get these modifications back to my desktop? Do I have to just manually do the adjustments?

Do the files move back and forth using itunes (which I don't like to use - sounds like others don't as well - is this a restriction that Apple forced?)?

It would be great to have the option to email or export the porfolio, then you can just email it back, or use dropbox, and have the desktop app open the same portfolio to level up and do other between game adjustments.

tl;dr.... Once it is on the ipad... is the portfolio stuck there?